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Career Advice & Interview Tips
Our job is to create comprehensive resumes and cover letters that are appealing, comprehensive, and keyword-optimized that are sure to impress employers. Meanwhile, it is your job to apply, apply, and apply to get your resume in front of potential employers!
But, to help you land interviews more quickly, we’ve put together this ultimate guide, so read on for some helpful tips.
TIPS COVERED
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Best job board websites
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Understanding how hiring managers research you online
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Choosing appropriate professional references
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Preparing before getting called in for interviews
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Frequency of job applications
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Best time of day to apply for jobs
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+ Much more!
MS Word vs. PDF: Which to Use When Uploading Resumes
Often, people are unsure whether recruiters prefer receiving resumes in Microsoft Word format or PDFs. However, submitting your resume in MS Word format is generally best, as Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) is best equipped to extract information from Word documents, and may fail to detect certain keywords from a PDF.
Today, ATS is used by most large companies, which is why your resume should be optimized for detection by ATS for the best chance of getting a call for an interview. As such, we strongly recommend opting for MS Word format when uploading your resume to a job posting board, unless otherwise stated in the job listing.
PS: If the job requires you to submit your resume via email, it is generally most acceptable to submit a PDF instead.
Best Job Board Websites for Job Seeking
A common mistake made by job hunters is to rely on a single job board to find their next career opportunity. However, by browsing multiple job boards, you will come across a wider variety of employers and positions, giving you more jobs to apply to, and even better chances of getting a callback.
While actively browsing as many job boards as possible increases your chances of securing a job, we have seen the best results from these platforms:
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​Federal Jobs
When applying for federal jobs, make sure that you are submitting a Federal Resume. You must have a federal resume to apply for a federal job. Never attempt to apply for a Federal job using a civilian/private (regular) resume.
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Colorado State Jobs
Glassdoor
When it comes to seeing what current and past employees have to say about a company, Glassdoor is the go-to platform, offering a great overview of salaries and employee satisfaction within a company, giving you an idea of what to expect working there.
Information Technology (IT) Jobs:
Used by millions of employers worldwide, LinkedIn is one of the leading platforms connecting job seekers with recruiters.
Will Companies Use LinkedIn to Research Me?
As the largest professional networking site in the world, employers will undoubtedly look you up on LinkedIn to get a better idea of who they are considering for employment. In fact, CareerBuilder.com reported that 51% of employers have turned down a candidate based on something they found about an applicant online.
For this reason, ensuring your LinkedIn account is up to industry standards with professional and powerful content that exhibits your greatest core competencies is the key to making a great first impression.
If you need assistance creating a professional LinkedIn account that is both appealing to recruiters and optimized for search engines, reach out to us today!
How Many Professional References Should I Provide?
When applying for jobs, the rule of thumb is to include 3 to 5 references along with your application.
Now more than ever, employers are taking extra steps to perform thorough background checks on applicants, which is why they will want to call or email 3 to 5 people who can speak to a person’s personality and work ethic. A minimum of three of your five references should be current or former colleagues (supervisors or managers if possible), while the other two can be friends or church members, for example.
However, it is worth taking the time to choose the best references, as it is estimated that approximately 71% of job candidates do not get called for an interview because of something negative that a reference said about them.
Moreover, due to a company’s Human Resource policies, current or former managers may not be able to serve as your reference. Therefore, you should always get permission from a reference before including them in your reference list.
What to Do Before Getting Called in for Interviews
While many people plan ahead for an interview, preparing for the call back for an interview is a step that many job seekers neglect. So, to remain a competitive candidate, here are some tips to help you be prepared:
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Change Your Voicemail Greeting
In case you are not able to take their call, it is crucial that employers hear a professional voicemail greeting when calling you. This should be a personal message along the lines of “Hi, you’ve reached the voicemail of _____ _____ (first & last name). I’m sorry I missed your call, but please leave your name, number, and the reason for your call, and I’ll return your call the same business day”. Avoid standard non-personalized messages that may steer recruiters away.
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Keep Your Phone on You
Once you begin applying for new jobs, it is important to keep your phone nearby. Because some employers immediately move to the next candidate rather than leave a voicemail to one who did not answer the phone, having your phone nearby and ready to receive incoming calls from employers is the key to success.
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Check Your Email Regularly
To schedule an interview, many recruiters will first contact you by email. By regularly checking your email, you can ensure that you respond to recruiters within the recommended time of an hour or less, allowing employers to fill positions ASAP. Make sure that once you start sending your resume out to recruiters, to check your spam folder regularly. Since employers reach out to so many job candidates, some of the recruiters emails go into spam folders more often.
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Create a Professional Email Signature
Including a professional email signature shows employers that you are up-to-date on industry trends and willing to go the extra mile. A good example of a professional email signature would be: your first and last name, phone number(s), email address, and a professional quote if so desired.
How Often to Submit Job Applications
10-15 times per day (MINIMUM)!
Before you say, "That's crazy, how can anyone apply for 10-15 jobs a day!" read on. Getting called in for an interview is a numbers game, which is why sending as many job applications as possible increases your odds of getting called in for an interview. At a minimum, job seekers should upload their resume to jobs between 10 and 15 times per day. While this may be challenging for those with full-time jobs, the higher the number of applications sent out, the higher the chances of being selected for an interview.
If you cannot find 10-15 job openings for your desired position every day, simply apply to as many as you come across. Remember to use multiple job boards to find greater opportunities!
How Many Days a Week Should You Send Applications?
When applying to new jobs, treat it like a job by submitting your resume to various job openings Monday through Friday between 7am and 2pm for the best results. This way, you can take the weekends off to relax and recoup from all your hard work.
When is the Best Time of Day to Apply to Jobs?
Early mornings and afternoons.
Submitting your resume 10-15 times per day, 5 days a week, Monday-Friday between 7am and 2pm is the recipe for the best chances of getting invited to an interview.
When a company determines that they need to hire an employee, the job description is sent over to the Hiring Manager who creates the job opening on various websites like Indeed, Jobing, CareerBuilder, etc. The vast majority of these job openings are posted between 7am and 2pm on weekdays, which is why being active during those hours is important. Afterall, resumes are reviewed in FIFO order (first in, first out), which is why being one of the first applicants increases your chance of being selected.
Which Jobs Should You Apply to First?
Jobs that were posted within the last 24 hours (or less if possible).
With so many jobs being posted every day, there is no reason to waste your time with jobs posted weeks ago. Instead, browse job openings by “date” on various job boards to see the most recent jobs first. From there, give priority to jobs that were posted within a few hours, or up to 24-72 hours, if you run out of options. The longer the job has been open, posted, and on the market, the less likely it is that you will get called in for an interview, meaning it is not worth spending time on older job listings.
What is a Phone Interview and Why is it Important to Pass?
It is a step of the screening process used to weed out unqualified applicants.
Phone interviews have become common practice by employers before inviting candidates to an in-person interview. Used as a crucial step in the screening process, phone interviews help eliminate unqualified job seekers, allowing the employer to save time interviewing only serious and qualified candidates. This means that to be invited to a sit-down face-to-face interview, you must firstly pass the phone interview.
How Do Hiring Managers Contact You to Schedule Phone Interviews?
By email (usually).
After submitting your application, resume, and cover letter, your potential employer will review it and decide whether they wish to contact you to move further. Generally, a hiring manager will reach out via email to arrange a date and time for a phone interview. However, there are employers who prefer to save time by calling you directly with no heads-up, so consider this your warning to be prepared!
What if an Employer Calls You Unexpectedly for a Phone Interview?
Schedule a callback.
While most respectable companies looking to fill positions will email a candidate to arrange a time for a phone interview, others prefer to throw you off guard by calling you unexpectedly, with hopes of seeing how quickly you can think on your feet. However, giving into this request can cause you to be unprepared and perform more poorly in the interview. Therefore, if you receive a call from an employer to conduct a phone interview, politely ask them to reschedule the call, by requesting the recruiter’s name, company, job title, and a phone number to call back at a later specified date and time.
Rescheduling the interview allows you to be more prepared, giving you the chance to review the job listing and refresh your memory on which job they are calling you about. You should also use this opportunity to do more research on the company, which will help you demonstrate your knowledge of the company you applied to during the interview, something many recruiters would consider an asset.
What are Employers Evaluating During a Phone Interview?
Communication skills, intelligence, and job qualifications.
Today, employers care about more than physical qualifications for a job, and value communication skills as well, which is why phone interviews are growing in popularity. While someone may have all the qualifications needed for a job, if they are unable to communicate clearly and effectively, they are unlikely to be called back for a face-to-face interview.
During a phone interview, employers are evaluating how well you communicate, your general level of intelligence, as well as your job qualifications. To leave a positive impression during your phone interview, be sure to take your time answering questions, by breathing and giving real-life examples of how you solved complex issues.
Two Questions to Ask an Employer Before They Question You
While employers will use phone interviews as an opportunity to ask you difficult questions to test your ability to think quickly, there is often time for you to ask questions before they begin questioning you. During this step, two great questions to ask the employer are:
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“Could you tell me a little more about the roles and responsibilities of this particular position; more than what I was able to research online?”
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“What are some of the greatest strengths that your most successful employees have in this role?”
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Why Ask These Questions Early in the Interview?
Asking these questions early during the interview process allows you to get a better understanding of the type of employee they are looking for and the character strengths they seek which you can incorporate into your interview responses. Using the information they provide in their answers to your questions, you can better mimic the type of employee they are looking for when they begin asking you their interview questions.
What are Some Common Phone Interview Questions?
Phone interview questions can vary.
Although each interview is different and involves different sets of questions, some of the most common questions asked by potential employers during a phone interview include:
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Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
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Looking at your resume, I see you're currently employed at XYZ company. Why are you looking at leaving your current employer?
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Looking over your resume, I see your last job was several weeks/months ago. Can you tell me why you are no longer with your previous company and why you've been out of the workforce for so long?
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What do you know about our company?
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How did you hear about this job position?
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Why did you apply for this position?
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Tell me, what do you know and understand about the roles and responsibilities of this specific job position?
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What would you say are your greatest areas of strength?
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What would others say are your areas of weakness?
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What is your salary expectation for this position within our company?
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